Yamaha is justifiably proud of the 50 years its racing division, Yamaha Factory Racing, has been in business, and to celebrate its half-century the MotoGP bike will sport a very special red and white livery.

The special YZR-M1 isn’t blue and white, but red, white, and black. We’ll be able to marvel at these bikes in the hands of the current world champion, Jorge Lorenzo, and last year’s “rookie of the year” Ben Spies, but only at the races in Assen and Laguna Seca. Naturally the whole support team will also wear the special colors, but fortunately it won’t be necessary to change the colored logotype on the exhaust system.

Doesn’t the Akrapovič exhaust system seem like the perfect accent on the YZR-M1 WGP 50th Anniversary bike?

Photo: Yamaha